by E. M. Moore
“—something will happen. You don’t have to sugarcoat it, Christian. I know there are risks involved and whoever doesn’t think so is just plain nuts.”
He chuckled to himself as he led me down a few hallways and then to a door. “I guess I’ll see you afterward.”
“You’re not coming in?”
He shook his head. “No. Not today.”
He pushed the door open and I walked through. Isabelle, with her beautifully proportioned face and body, rose from the settee and walked toward me, her arm outstretched. She reminded me of the Regency era where poise and conduct mattered most. She wore a pantsuit like a modern day business woman and she knew hot to wear it too. She screamed authority at every turn of her chin and graceful line of her neck. “Thanks for coming, Ariana. We haven’t spoken in a while and seeing as how something happened between you and Nicolai, I thought it was about time.”
She moved to the settee and sat again after releasing my hand. I followed after and sat in the opposite cream-colored sofa with gold trim. “Nicolai didn’t say much about the conversation you had with him. In fact, he hasn’t said much to me since.”
Her lip curved up. “He feels terrible about what he did to his brothers, but at the same time, he can’t come to terms with feeling bad about acting on his feelings. He’s so much like my Gregor that it’s almost funny. Even moreso when both of them can’t get along like now.”
I watched her settle herself, her leg crossing over her other. “I know he really wants to fight.”
She sat back and arched an eyebrow. “What do you think about that? Should a prince like Nicolai be let out on the dangerous missions you go on?” I narrowed my eyes at her and her lip twitched. “I promise it’s not a test, Ariana. I’ve long ago accepted and approved of your relationship with my sons. I’m genuinely curious about your thoughts on it.”
“I think… Well, I think that regardless of Nicolai’s position, he should be able to do what he wants. I’m not saying I wouldn’t be scared to let him do such a thing. I care for him, deeply. If something were to happen to him, I would be heartbroken, but I see the way not doing anything makes him feel and that also bothers me. I guess I wish Gregor would reconsider because at this point, Nic will probably do what he wants even if it means doing the exact opposite of what Gregor wants him to do.”
She nodded, her silky hair shifting over her shoulders as she did so. “I agree.”
My head reeled back. “You do?”
“Is it so surprising to hear me say that? I love my sons more than anything, that is true. But like you, I feel everything they feel. Nicolai is so unhappy standing back and observing what is happening. Even if it means he puts himself in danger, I believe he should do it. I’ve tried to talk to Gregor, but—” She smiled. “I’m not sure it’s working. He’s always been steadfast in his decisions. You are the woman in their lives, besides me, of course.” She gripped her hands in front of her until her knuckles turned white. “I respect you very much, Ariana. I am sorry Nicolai has done what he did to you. Do you blame him?”
I shook my head immediately. “Blaming him would be like blaming myself. It’s done, it’s over with. I would just like to be able to fix it. I see how it’s impacted not only my relationship with Connor, Christian, and Stephan, but my relationship with him too. I just want things to go back to normal. Do you have any advice?”
Isabelle steeled her shoulders back and drilled her eyes into me. “Have my sons told you anything about me? My life? My abilities?”
“They said that you could tell things about people. You chose them for your sons because you knew what kind of attributes they would bring to your family. You knew they would make good princes.”
She nodded. “I like to call it being a good reader. From the moment I learned about you, I knew you and my sons would change this world we live in.”
My eyebrows furrowed. Change this world? How so? This world was about as ancient as could be. Changing it was like walking through quicksand.
“No need to look so perplexed, child. You’ve already started changing this world. Was it not you who brought honor to guards? Is it not you and the princes who are trying to bring together the two species for a better purpose? Are you not already considering changing the rules so that you can one day be with my sons in any way you want to be? You have already—and will be—changing this world for as long as you are in it. Of that, I’m certain.”
I swallowed, feeling the weight of what she said on my shoulders.
“My sons have always been independent thinkers, as well as Gregor, but they needed only you to take that extra step. If they had brought you here and you weren’t the person you were, would we have had a Medal of Valor? Would Lex now be in charge of security? Would we have overruled the law about vampires and guards not being together? This is just the tip of the iceberg for you all. Whatever you guys will do to change this world, you will have to do it together. It’s what I feel, what I see.”
I took a deep breath and blew it out. My heart hammered against my ribs so hard I was sure Isabelle could almost see it, and I was positive she could hear it with her extra special vampire hearing.
“Christian tells me you want to have children.” My eyes bulged out of my head, but she merely waved my surprise away. “He wasn’t giving up your confidence, I assure you. He was only concerned that Nicolai, having done what he did, would ruin this chance for you. If you can never fix it, how will that impact your future plans? Tell me, Ariana, do you think you’ll ever make the change to become a vampire?”
“We would have to overturn the rule first.”
She smiled. “Exactly. And yet you sit there looking as if you have done nothing for this world already. I am very happy for my sons to have found someone like you. I know right now things aren’t perfect, and I can’t tell you how to work around what Nic has done, but I can tell you it will all work out in the end. You five are meant to be together to change this world and I have a feeling that you will be doing things together for a long time to come.”
“I hope so.” I gave her a small smile. “Do you know how you got this ability? Soren also says that he’s a good people reader. I haven’t seen him in a while, but he knows about my relationship with Nicolai. It was almost like he could sense it.”
“Soren? Your captive?”
I nodded.
“Hmm. I haven’t met anyone like me, but that doesn’t mean there couldn’t be. Are you worried he’ll tell people about you and Nicolai?”
“No, not at all. I was actually wondering if, when all this is done, you could help me help him. With your abilities, you can tell if people are good for this world. Well, I think Soren is. He has helped us in the search for Dumont and I believe he wants to live his life differently now.” Her forehead wrinkled. “I guess what I’m trying to say is that I’d like to set him free after all this. If you read him, maybe Gregor and whoever else has to make the decision would trust your judgment and let him go once we’ve settled the Dumont problem.”
She was quiet for some time. I sat back and waited, almost watching her internal dialogue as she thought things over. Finally, she said, “I will do that for you, but I do promise to tell the truth. If I sense any hatred or bigotry in Soren’s heart, I’ll not consent to letting him go free.”
“I can live with that.”
Isabelle stood, signaling the end of our meeting. I rose with her and was just about to turn away when she grabbed me and pulled me close. Her arms wound around me in an awkward embrace. “Keep my sons, and yourself, safe.”
I lifted my hand and patted her on the back, closing my eyes in the process. It had been a while since I’d been hugged by a mother figure. It was as foreign to me as food and speech from a different country. I nodded into her, and the soft fabric of her blazer rubbed against my cheek.
“All will end just as it should.”
I nodded again, sure she was trying to tell me something important, but not getting any of it. Though, I supp
osed that was the problem with having another sense that other people didn’t have. Maybe she was just trying to be positive, but for some reason, it felt like a message.
The door handle jiggled, and then burst open. Isabelle quickly stepped aside, and my hands fell to my waist. Christian came running in. “We can’t find Nicolai.”
My heart lodged in my throat. “What do you mean?”
“I mean, he’s nowhere on the property and no one has seen him since yesterday. Have you?”
I shook my head. I saw him before I went to sleep in Stephan’s room, but that had been the last time. He’d been avoiding me lately, my subconscious telling me it was because he felt guilty for what he’d done and didn’t want to face me as I constantly tried to tell him that it was okay. Of course, there was the other reason, too. That we couldn’t be with one another while we figured everything out. Not that Nicolai was like that, not wanting to see me just because he couldn’t have sex with me, but I could see him keeping his distance if he didn’t trust himself with me and didn’t want to let his brothers down again.
I peeked at Isabelle. Her face was stoic, her lips a thin line. Christian’s eyes narrowed at her and then he waved me forward. “He’s not picking up for me, but he might pick up for you. We need you to call him. Now. Father’s in the Council room with Connor who’s trying to get a lock on his cell phone.”
“Cell phone? Why? What does everyone think he’s doing?”
“He got in another fight with Father last night. He seems to think he may have took off in search of Dumont by himself.”
Christian pulled me forward. Before he led me through the doorway, I looked back at Isabelle. She was clearly unhappy, her eyes set in worry, but at the same time, I didn’t see any of the surprise or excitement that a missing son would’ve gathered in her. One last look at her downturned eyes, and I was pulled away from all her secrets.
Chapter Twenty-One
Christian and I ran through the hallways and burst into the Council room once more. Everything was in a flurry. Calls still came in and were being answered orderly by the volunteers, but Gregor was in the center of the room, pacing, his hands on his hips. When he saw us enter the room, he stopped and ordered me to call Nicolai at that moment. With a shaking hand, I pulled out my cell phone and clicked on “Dark, Sexy, & Badass”. I didn’t know what I expected. I supposed I expected that he wouldn’t pick up for me since he hadn’t picked up for his brothers or his father. But, at the second ring, Nic said, “Hey.”
My mouth dropped. “Hey? Are you serious? Where are you?”
“I’m in Christian’s car.”
I peeked at Christian. I had no doubt all the vampires in the room could hear this conversation, but luckily enough, it was only Gregor and the princes in the room with that special trait. Christian didn’t even bat an eye. “And why are you in Christian’s car?”
“I had a hunch on where Dumont might be. Listen, I know everyone’s there and they’re probably all pissed at me, even moreso now than before, but I think I’m onto something. I’m going to lure Dumont out by being myself. I think I can play with him, tell him I’m sick of my father and I want to be on his side as long as he’ll give me a spot in the leadership of his Council when they overtake my family. Then, I can move in and take him just like we’ve all been wanting to do. I can be of use, Ri, and I think this is the way to do it.”
“This is stupid,” Christian said. I repeated that to Nicolai.
“And reckless,” Connor said. I also repeated that to Nicolai.
He chuckled. “Well, that’s kind of my thing, isn’t it?”
Gregor looked too furious to talk, to comment on anything. I turned my back and cupped the cell phone to try and make the conversation more private. “You’re not doing this for any other reason, are you, Nic? I mean, you’re not doing this because you made that mistake, are you? I promise you your brothers wouldn’t have wanted you to do this no matter what you did to them. It’s not worth it.”
“You don’t think I can do it?”
“I didn’t say that. I just think when people go rogue, bad things can happen. I wished you’d brought the idea to Lex so that we could expand on it and send you in with backup at the very least to make sure you were safe.”
“But that’s the thing,” he said, his voice getting stronger. “I can’t do that because you guys would give me away. It has to really seem like I’m doing this on my own.”
“That’s what you want to do now? You want to go off on your own? You could’ve at least told me, Nic.”
“You would’ve tried to stop me.”
“I’m not sure that I would’ve.”
“That’s what my mom said.”
I closed my eyes, my shoulders dropping. So Isabelle had helped him out with this plan. That was probably why she asked me how I felt about Nicolai participating in this fight against Dumont too. “You know I’m always behind you.”
“Listen, I’m almost there. I have to go.”
“Can you at least just tell me where you are so that we can go there now? What if you get into trouble and you need us to come save you?”
“Sorry. Can’t do that.”
“Nic…”
“I said I’m sorry.”
The phone paused for a few seconds. Dead air filled the expanse between us. I gripped the phone tighter in my hands. “Don’t you dare hang up on me.”
There was another few seconds of pause before Nicolai said, “I really do have to go. Bye, Ri.”
Rage spurred inside me. I’d done some things that were considered dangerous, but I’d never put myself this much at risk without others, without having qualified people there that I knew would help me if something had gone wrong. I meant what I said. When people went rogue, bad things could happen. “I’ll never forgive you for this, Nic. Turn around now.”
“Don’t say that, Ri.”
“Turn around…”
The phone clicked. The dead air was real this time. I pulled the phone out and checked the screen. “Call ended”. I sat down where I was, the phone coming up to my face as I clasped my hands around my ears. Within a few moments, hands were around me. Stephan. He picked me up, jostled me for a second and then I closed my eyes tight as we whizzed through the house. It was only a few seconds before a soft mattress was at my back. I opened my eyes, praying the room didn’t spin above me. It didn’t. Stephan’s face was there to ground me. “He hung up on me.”
“He thinks he’s helping.”
“I’m going to kill him.”
“You don’t mean that.”
The door to Stephan’s room opened and Christian and Connor were right there, their brows furrowed as if they couldn’t quite understand what happened. “He wants to bring Dumont in himself.”
“We heard,” Connor said.
“I should’ve realized he’d do something like this,” Christian said.
“Something like this? I thought he’d beg to get on one of the missions Lex set up, but I didn’t think he’d do anything like this. It’s a freaking suicide mission. What if Dumont doesn’t believe a word he’s saying? He’ll be a sitting duck. Dumont wants to take out the Ravana Clan and Nic just made it so easy by giving himself up to him.” I pushed myself off the bed as a thousand scenarios filtered through my head. “Someone has to tell Lex.”
“Gregor’s doing that right now,” Christian said. “I don’t think there’s anything we can do other than sit back and wait. See if he calls back.”
“Do you think he’s doing this to prove something?” Stephan asked. “Is it because he marked Ariana? I don’t get it.”
“Nic’s always been a gut instinct type of person,” Connor admitted.
“I don’t know. He hasn’t been talking to any of us. Not even Ariana,” Stephan countered.
“Bite me,” I said.
Three pairs of eyes glared at me.
“No, not like that. Bite me,” I told them, motioning toward my neck. “If he’s worried he ruined my r
elationship with you all and we can prove to him that nothing is wrong by you guys biting me, then we should do it. If it works, I can call him back right now and tell him that he doesn’t have to do this.”
“I don’t think that’s why he’s doing this,” Christian said. “Gregor told him he couldn’t, so he’s doing it anyway. It’s his MO.”
“But not for me,” I said, my voice tight. “He wouldn’t do this to me unless there was a reason. He wouldn’t make me worry unnecessarily.”
Christian looked at his remaining brothers. “No, I still think you’re wrong. He thinks he’s helping all of us in the long run so he decided to do this. I don’t think it’s related to him marking you at all.”
“Will someone just bite me?” I snapped. I didn’t want to hear anymore thoughts on why Nicolai did this, I just wanted to do something about it and this was the only thing I could think of. This was the only thing I had control over right here and right now.
Connor lunged forward. The last thing I saw was the sharp glint of his fangs before they sliced through my delicate skin, only entering the same amount Nic’s had. My mouth dropped open, and a small moan escaped my lips before he quickly pulled away. I looked at my shoulder and a trickle of blood ran from the two puncture spots.
I looked up to find Connor wiping his mouth. “Kiss me,” I instructed. I pulled his shirt hard and he came tumbling down over me. I captured his lips in a kiss and held on. I kissed him with everything I had, every last worry for his brother melted into that kiss. I wasn’t going to let this not work. I kissed him and kissed him until I realized he’d never pulled away. He was still there, his tongue prying my lips apart so he could get more.
A throat cleared behind me. Connor pulled away, a smile pulling his lips wide. “It worked. I can’t feel Nic’s power over you anymore.”
I looked up at Christian. “Bite me.”
He shook his head. “You’re both reckless. I guess that’s the attraction between you two.”
“What’s your attraction to me then?” I asked.
He shook his head. “Too many to count.”
